depended more on health, than
health on exertion; besides, she thought Philip ought to take some blame
to himself for the disaster on the stairs. She made no answer, and Guy
asked what Philip had been doing to-day.

'Walking over the hills from Como. Do you always travel in this fashion,
"impedimentis relictis"?'

'Not exactly,' said Guy; 'the "impedimenta" are, some at Varenna, some
at the inn with Arnaud.'

'So you have Arnaud with you?'

'Yes, and Anne Trower,' said Amy, for her maid was a Stylehurst person,
who had lived at Hollywell ever since she had been fit for service. 'She
was greatly pleased to hear we were going to meet the captain.'

'We amuse ourselves with thinking how she gets on with Arnaud,' said
Guy. 'Their introduction took place only two days before we were
married, since which, they have had one continued tete-a-tete, which
must have been droll at first.'

'More so at last,' said Amy. 'At first Anne thought Mr. Arnaud so fine a
gentleman, that she hardly dared to speak to him. I believe nothing
awed her so much as his extreme courtesy; but lately he has been quite
fatherly to her, and took her to dine at his sister's chalet, where
I would have given something to see her. She tells me he wants her
to admire the country, but she does not like the snow, and misses our
beautiful clover-fields very much.'

'Stylehurst ought to have been better training for mountains,' said
Philip.

They were fast losing the stiffness of first meeting. Philip could not
but acknowledge to himself that Amy was looking very well, and so happy
that Guy must be fulfilling the condition on which he was to be borne
with. However, these were early days, and of course Guy must be kind to
her at least in the honeymoon, before the wear and tear of life began.
They both looked so young, that having advised them to wait four years,
he was ready to charge them with youthfulness, if not as a fault, at
least as a folly; indeed, the state of his own affairs made him inclined
to think it a foible, almost a want of patience, in any one to marry
before thirty. It was a conflict of feeling. Guy was so cordial and
good-humoured, that he could not help being almost gained; but, on the
other hand, he had always thought Guy's manners eminently agreeable; and
as happiness always made people good-humoured, this was no reason for
relying on him. Besides, the present ease and openness of manner might
only result from security.

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